Post by nivanov on Sept 9, 2014 15:22:14 GMT -6
Last year, I bought TaoTao ATM50-A1 2013 model, and, with some excellent advice from this website, got it running really well. I added a mirror mount phone cradle for navigation. The only thing missing was some sweet USB power to keep my phone from dying. I've used the following components:
You don't want to attach the power adapter to the battery directly - even with no device plugged in, it (most likely) draws some stand-by current. At the same time, I didn't want to tap into the headlight circuitry directly - currents and voltage fluctuations there are pretty high.
I've noticed that this light stays off when the scooter is off, but turns on when the key is turned:
Now we just have to figure out where it connects:
You're looking for a 2-wire harness, with green and black wires coming in and brown and green coming out. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE POLARITY WITH A METER. On my scooter, on the input, Black was positive and Green was negative. On the output, Green is positive and Brown is negative (
??). Also, make sure voltage is 0 when the key is off, and around 12V when the key is turned.
Make sure to disconnect the battery first. Use the wire tap-ins to connect your DC converter to the output part of the harness (if you mess up, it's easier to fix the output instead of the input). Once again, make sure you're connecting the Red wire of the converter to the Positive wire of the harness.
Once you're done, reconnect the battery, turn the key and plug in a USB device - hopefully, it will get power. You don't need to turn the scooter on, since the power is supplied from the battery. I've used 3M VHB tape to affix the converter to the scooter - it doesn't obstruct anything in the location shown in the picture.
Last step is to figure out where you want your USB ports. I've found this place particularly convenient - it's protected from the rain and the USB ports won't obstruct the plastic body piece from going back on your scooter:
I've used a dremel tool to carefully cut out an opening for the USB ports and drill holes for mounting. That's it!
- 12V To 5V 3A 15W Duble USB Output Power Adapter DC DC Converter Module from Ebay ($5)
- Wire Tap-In Squeeze Connectors from Radioshack ($3)
- A dremel tool or a heavy duty knife
You don't want to attach the power adapter to the battery directly - even with no device plugged in, it (most likely) draws some stand-by current. At the same time, I didn't want to tap into the headlight circuitry directly - currents and voltage fluctuations there are pretty high.
I've noticed that this light stays off when the scooter is off, but turns on when the key is turned:
Now we just have to figure out where it connects:
You're looking for a 2-wire harness, with green and black wires coming in and brown and green coming out. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE POLARITY WITH A METER. On my scooter, on the input, Black was positive and Green was negative. On the output, Green is positive and Brown is negative (
??). Also, make sure voltage is 0 when the key is off, and around 12V when the key is turned.Make sure to disconnect the battery first. Use the wire tap-ins to connect your DC converter to the output part of the harness (if you mess up, it's easier to fix the output instead of the input). Once again, make sure you're connecting the Red wire of the converter to the Positive wire of the harness.
Once you're done, reconnect the battery, turn the key and plug in a USB device - hopefully, it will get power. You don't need to turn the scooter on, since the power is supplied from the battery. I've used 3M VHB tape to affix the converter to the scooter - it doesn't obstruct anything in the location shown in the picture.
Last step is to figure out where you want your USB ports. I've found this place particularly convenient - it's protected from the rain and the USB ports won't obstruct the plastic body piece from going back on your scooter:
I've used a dremel tool to carefully cut out an opening for the USB ports and drill holes for mounting. That's it!
